Bill Belichick isn’t getting into the Pro Football Hall of Fame unless he buys a ticket.

The legendary New England Patriots head coach failed to gain the necessary votes to be part of the Hall of Fame class of 2026, ESPN’s Seth Wickersham and Don Van Natta Jr. reported Jan. 27. It was Belichick’s first year of eligibility, failed to receive 40 of the 50 necessary votes from the committee.

Considered to be the greatest coach in NFL history, Belichick has a long list of accomplishments to back that up. He is an eight-time Super Bowl champion and has 333 career wins, ranking second behind only Don Shula, who is in the Hall of Fame.

One of the faces of the Patriots’ dynasty, Belichick’s omission certainly caught everyone off guard. Reaction has been pouring in fast and furious, with none of it being optimistic.

Here’s a look at how the NFL world and social media are taking the news:

Hall of Fame voters react to Belichick snub

Deion Sanders on Bill Belichick snub

The New York Jets are evidently leaving no stone unturned as they look to revamp their coaching staff ahead of Aaron Glenn’s second season with the team.

The Jets ‘reached out’ to Jon Gruden about potentially joining Glenn’s staff for the 2026 NFL season, according to The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt. However, Gruden ‘wasn’t interested in the job.’

It wasn’t immediately clear what type of role the Jets had offered Gruden. That said, it’s worth noting the team parted ways with offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand on Jan. 27 after just one season.

Gruden hasn’t held an NFL coaching job since the 2021 season, when he resigned from his head coaching job with the Las Vegas Raiders after emails he sent containing racist, homophobic and misogynistic remarks during his time at ESPN were leaked to the media.

During the 2023 season, Gruden consulted in an unofficial capacity for the New Orleans Saints, and has more recently taken on a role producing content for Barstool Sports.

Despite his absence, Gruden’s name has been bandied about in the rumor mill over the years. NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero mentioned teams had done ‘extensive homework’ on the Super Bowl-winning coach prior to the 2025 NFL coaching cycle.

The Jets’ reported curiosity indicates there is still interest in Gruden. But for now, the 62-year-old will remain out of the NFL.

Meanwhile, the Jets will turn their attention to another veteran coach to help organize their offense. New York is expected to hire Frank Reich to take over as the team’s primary play-caller, according to SNY’s Connor Hughes.

San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama prefaced what he said about the recent shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good as part of federal immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis with an initial disclaimer.

‘PR has tried,’ he said, ‘but I’m not going to sit here and give some politically correct (answer).’

The 22-year-old from France then expressed dismay and disgust over the incidents, but admitted he didn’t feel comfortable offering his complete thoughts on the situation as the debate over the Trump administration’s immigration tactics rages nationally.

‘Every day I wake up and see the news and I’m horrified,’ Wembanyama told reporters on Tuesday, Jan. 27. ‘I think it’s crazy that some people make it seem like, or make it sound like, it’s acceptable, like the murder of civilians (is) acceptable. Every day I read the news and sometimes I’m asking very deep questions about my own life. But, you know, I’m conscious also that saying everything that’s on my mind will have a cost that’s too great for me right now. So I’d rather not go into too many details.’

When asked later if being a foreigner in the United States played into his hesitancy, Wembanyama answered, ‘For sure.’

Wembanyama is the latest NBA player to be asked to comment in the wake of Pretti’s death in Minneapolis on Saturday, Jan. 24, which led to the postponement of an NBA regular-season game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors. Stephen Curry and Warriors coach Steve Kerr, Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks forward and former Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns, as well as the National Basketball Players Association, have condemned the shooting publicly.

‘Following the news of yet another fatal shooting in Minneapolis, a city that has been on the forefront of the fight against injustices, NBA players can no longer remain silent,’ the NBPA said in a statement. ‘Now more than ever, we must defend the right to freedom of speech and stand in solidarity with the people in Minnesota protesting and risking their lives to demand justice.’

Wembanyama, in the midst of a breakthrough third season with the Spurs near the top of the Western Conference standings, followed the union’s lead.

‘It’s terrible. I know I’m a foreigner, and I live in this country, and I’m concerned,’ he said.

Bill Belichick will not be making it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the first ballot after failing to receive the necessary 40 of 50 votes to be enshrined as a member of the Class of 2026.

Belichick’s omission shocked the NFL world. Many assumed the New England Patriots legend – who has more Super Bowl wins than any individual in league history to date – would be a shoo-in to be selected for the honor once eligible.

Instead, the 73-year-old will have to wait at least one more year before getting a chance to join the ranks of the NFL’s immortal coaches.

Here’s what to know about the NFL’s current Hall of Fame coaches and how Belichick’s resume stacks up against the best of the best.

What NFL coaches are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

A total of 29 NFL coaches have been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame since its creation in 1963. Below is a full look at the list, including the year they were inducted:

• George Allen (2002)
• Paul Brown (1967)
• Guy Chamberlain (1965)
• Jimmy Conzelman (1964)
• Don Coryell (2023)
• Bill Cowher (2020)
• Tony Dungy (2016)
• Weeb Ewbank (1978)
• Ray Flaherty (1976)
• Tom Flores (2021)
• Joe Gibbs (1996)
• Sid Gillman (1983)
• Bud Grant (1994)
• George Halas (1963)
• Jimmy Johnson (2020)
• Earl ‘Curly’ Lambeau (1963)
• Tom Landry (1990)
• Marv Levy (2001)
• Vince Lombardi (1971)
• John Madden (2006)
• Earle ‘Greasy’ Neale (1969)
• Chuck Noll (1993)
• Steve Owen (1966)
• Bill Parcells (2013)
• Fritz Pollard (2005)
• Don Shula (1997)
• Hank Stram (2003)
• Dick Vermeil (2022)
• Bill Walsh (1993)

Belichick – who has the third-most regular-season wins in NFL history and the most Super Bowls by any individual – is widely expected to eventually join the list. However, he will not do so in his first year of eligibility for a gold jacket.

Bill Belichick career record

Belichick is one of three NFL coaches to win at least 300 career regular-season games. He posted a 302-165 regular-season record across his 29 seasons as an NFL head coach, and trails only Don Shula (328) and George Halas (318) in terms of regular-season victories.

Additionally, Belichick leads the NFL in all-time postseason wins, posting a 31-13 playoff record while winning six Super Bowls, all with the Patriots. He has 332 total wins in his career, a number only bested by Shula’s 347 combined victories.

Belichick’s career winning percentage of .647 ranks 19th among 207 all-time qualifiers for the metric in NFL history.

Bill Belichick record without Tom Brady

One of the only sticking points in any potential debate about Belichick’s Hall of Fame credentials would be his record without Brady.

Belichick has coached nine full seasons without Brady, as well as the majority of the 2008 season and a handful of other games across their 20 years together in New England. Belichick’s squads have posted a combined record of 84-103 in games Brady did not start, including the postseason.

Comparatively, Belichick has a 248-75 record with Brady and has only won a single playoff game without him.

How many Super Bowls has Bill Belichick won?

Any concerns about Belichick’s record without Brady should be quickly quelled by his history of championship-level success.

Belichick has won a whopping eight Super Bowl rings during his career. Six came as the Patriots coach and the other two were while he was with the New York Giants as a defensive coordinator under Bill Parcells.

No individual has won more than Belichick’s eight Super Bowl rings. Brady leads all NFL players with seven, while football administrator Neal Dahlen also earned a combined seven across his time with the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos.

Bill Belichick won’t be headed to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

The former New England Patriots head coach, who won a record six Super Bowls in his 24-year tenure with the organization, was not selected for the Hall of Fame’s 2026 class, ESPN’s Seth Wickersham and Don Van Natta Jr. reported Jan. 27.

Belichick was the singular finalist in the coaching category, but he did not receive the necessary 40 of 50 votes to make the cut, according to the report.

News of the vote sent waves of shock across the NFL world, with current and former players sharing disbelief that Belichick isn’t expected to be a first-ballot inductee.

‘I can’t be reading this right,’ former NFL All-Pro defensive end J.J. Watt said on X. ‘This has to be some knock-off Hall of Fame or something, it can’t be the actual NFL Hall of Fame. There is not a single world whatsoever in which Bill Belichick should not be a First-Ballot Hall of Famer.’

The Pro Football Hall of Fame released a statement following the ESPN report, saying it ‘does not comment on the voting of the Selection Committee and awaits the unveiling of the Class of 2026 at ‘NFL Honors’ on Feb. 5 in San Francisco.’

With 333 career victories including the postseason, Belichick is just 14 shy of Don Shula’s all-time record.

Belichick, 73, parted ways with the Patriots after the 2023 season and last year became the head coach at the University of North Carolina.

In 2024, the Hall of Fame revised its rules to reduce the waiting period for coaches to be enshrined from five years after holding their last position to one. Many interpreted this as putting Belichick on the fast track to Canton. Instead, he’ll have to wait until at least 2027.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft, whom Belichick coached under and clashed with repeatedly, is a finalist for the first time in the contributor category. ESPN said it was not known whether Kraft received the votes necessary for inclusion in the 2026 class.

The full Hall of Fame class will be revealed on Feb. 5 at the NFL Honors ceremony in San Francisco.

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ offseason priority will be determining who will quarterback the team, as Aaron Rodgers mulls his NFL future and prepares to hit free agency.

That said, if new Steelers coach Mike McCarthy has it his way, he would bring the 42-year-old Rodgers back to lead the team for at least one more season.

McCarthy was asked during his introductory news conference whether his best-case scenario for the 2026 season would be to have Rodgers at quarterback.

‘Definitely,’ McCarthy replied. ‘I don’t see why you wouldn’t.’

McCarthy and Rodgers have a longstanding relationship from their time together with the Green Bay Packers. The duo worked together for 13 seasons, beginning when the team hired McCarthy in 2006 – ahead of Rodgers’ second season – and ending when McCarthy was fired after the Packers posted a 4-7-1 record across the first 12 games of the 2018 NFL season.

Rodgers developed into one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks under McCarthy’s tutelage, winning NFL MVP awards in 2011 and 2014. They also won Super Bowl 45 together, as Rodgers threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns while earning Super Bowl MVP honors in a 31-25 victory over the Steelers.

Despite the connection, McCarthy acknowledged that no such reunion between him and his long-time quarterback is imminent.

‘I have spoken to Aaron and that’s really where we are there,’ McCarthy said.

The 62-year-old coach further communicated he was impressed by what the 21-year NFL veteran was able to accomplish during his first season with the Steelers.

‘I watched most of the Pittsburgh games on TV and I thought he was a great asset for the team,’ McCarthy said of Rodgers.

McCarthy understands Rodgers will want to take time to weigh his decision whether to suit up for another NFL season.

‘When guys are up at that stage in their career, they need to step away and decompress a bit,’ McCarthy explained. ‘I think that’s very important. The game is so emotional. What these men commit to and what they put into it, I think that time away is important.’

Rodgers has not yet announced a timeline for a decision about his future. The veteran quarterback did not officially sign with the Steelers until June last offseason, though Pittsburgh had always appeared likely to sign him as the saga dragged on.

Whether the Steelers will be as patient in 2026 remains to be seen. That said, McCarthy expressed confidence in the two quarterbacks currently slated to be on Pittsburgh’s 90-man offseason roster – veteran Mason Rudolph and 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard.

‘It would be great to have Aaron back, but Will and Mason – I’m really excited to get started with those guys,’ McCarthy said.

McCarthy’s confidence in Pittsburgh’s quarterback room could allow the Steelers to slow-play the Rodgers situation and simply roll with what they have if the 42-year-old veteran decides to call it a career.

The Denver Nuggets are getting closer to getting their star back.

Center Nikola Jokić is on track to be reevaluated in a week after he hyperextended his left knee last month. On the official injury reports ahead of Denver’s games, the team has been ruling Jokić out with a bone bruise.

The Nuggets, though, can be cautious and deliberate with Jokić’s return; the team has remained competitive in the Western Conference without him and is 9-5 in that span.

Denver faces a tough test Tuesday, Jan. 27, however, as it hosts the Detroit Pistons, the No. 1 team in the East.

During his absence, Jokić has been active with the Nuggets on the sideline, being animated and vocal with his teammates, giving them a different perspective. Known as one of the more savvy basketball minds among players, Jokić’s input is undoubtedly a welcome sight for the Nuggets coaching staff.

During pre-game warmups, Jokić has ramped up his on-court activity recently, appearing on the floor and going through light dribbling and shooting. During these sessions, he has worn a black pad over the injured knee.

Jokić suffered the injury in a 147-123 loss Dec. 29 against the Miami Heat. The play came with just six seconds left in the first half. As Jokić was in the paint, shuffling his feet on defense, Nuggets forward Spencer Jones was pushed backward and Jones stepped on Jokić’s left foot. Jokić had been planting on the foot, causing his left knee to buckle and hyperextend backwards.

He lay on the court in apparent discomfort and grabbed at his knee. Trainers and medical staff tended to him, before he eventually got up and went into the locker room with a significant limp.

The day after, an MRI and medical testing came back clean and the team said Jokić would be reevaluated in a month.

The interesting thing to note with Jokić’s absence is that he’s likely to become ineligible for individual postseason awards. Jokić will miss his 16th game Tuesday night against Detroit; if he misses just two more games beyond that, he will not meet the 65-game threshold required for players to qualify for awards like Most Valuable Player and All-NBA selections.

Jokić, who is averaging 29.6 points, 12.2 rebounds and 11.0 assists per game, had been a regular staple near the top of USA TODAY Sports’ NBA MVP power rankings prior to the injury.